Super PACs spending tops $8 million in state races

Current rate of spending dwarfed by 2016 investments

The leading super PAC spending in New York's races so far is the state
teachers' union, which has invested more than $1.9 million through its
super PAC to flip control of the state Senate to the Democrats.

The leading super PAC spending in New York's races so far is the state
teachers' union, which has invested more than $1.9 million through its
super PAC to flip control of the state Senate to the Democrats.

Photo: Karlin, Richard

Photo: Karlin, Richard

Image
1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

The leading super PAC spending in New York's races so far is the state
teachers' union, which has invested more than $1.9 million through its
super PAC to flip control of the state Senate to the Democrats.

The leading super PAC spending in New York's races so far is the state
teachers' union, which has invested more than $1.9 million through its
super PAC to flip control of the state Senate to the Democrats.

Photo: Karlin, Richard

Super PACs spending tops $8 million in state races

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

ALBANY — Political interest groups aren’t digging as deep to spend on New York’s state races this year.

Spending by groups known as super PACs ahead of the November elections for the Assembly, Senate, attorney general and governor was at $8.07 million as of Monday afternoon, according to state Board of Elections records. Even with expenditures guaranteed to ramp up during the final week of the campaign, the groups are unlikely to match the $17.7 million racked up in 2016.

Spending by super PACs to sway voters — on advertisements, polls, consultants and other campaign-related costs — must be done without any coordination with a candidate, their campaign or political party.

The biggest of the spenders has been the state teachers union, New York State United Teachers, which has invested more than $1.9 million through its super PAC to try and flip control of the state Senate to the Democrats. About half of that money has been used in four Long Island races, and a teacher running in the Syracuse area has benefited from $768,624 in campaigning expenditures.

But short of a major investment in the coming days, the group won’t match the $3.77 million it spent in 2016 on Senate and Assembly races. That year, it funneled about $1.15 million into campaign efforts in the final days of the election.

The biggest change from two years ago comes from pro-charter school interests, which have spent just a fraction of the $5.1 million they invested in Republican candidates for state Senate in 2016.

One of their super PACs this year contributed $365,400 on polling and research for the general election, but its filings with the state Board of Elections didn’t identify the races or candidates they were targeting. Their other super PAC also spent $240,994 during the primaries backing two former members of the Senate Independent Democratic Conference.

A spokesman for the groups declined to comment on their general election strategy.

Theoretically, they could get off the sidelines before Election Day, as $4.15 million was deposited into two pro-charter school super PACs this summer.

“You never count the resources as unspent until the ballgame is over,” said Democratic consultant Bruce Gyory. “There could be a late run.”

Another group that is traditionally aligned with Senate Republicans, the Real Estate Board of New York, has spent $562,130, which is about 36 percent of what they committed to 2016 Senate races.

Senate Republicans have been buoyed by $1.02 million from the Balance New York super PAC, which has received a majority of its funding from the Republican State Leadership Committee. It represents nearly a 50 percent increase from two years ago.

Last week they committed $224,886 to defeating Democrat Aaron Gladd, who is running against Republican Daphne Jordan for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Kathy Marchione.

Gladd is the beneficiary of spending by a super PAC called Moving New York Families Forward, which launched Facebook advertisements last week and didn’t have a filing on the BOE’s independent expenditure website on Monday.

A major spender this year is the labor union pac?for hotel and motel workers. Its super PAC has invested more than $1 million for radio ads, with the vast majority supporting Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

Senate Democrats have benefited from $837,582 in spending by the Communications Workers of America’s super PAC, which was not a major player in 2016.

The super PAC funded by Airbnb has invested $554,728 in this year’s races, with about 90 percent going to support Democrat Jim Skoufis in his bid for an open Hudson Valley Senate seat. In 2016, they spent nearly $1.2 million on Democratic Senate candidates and $102,000 on Republican Sen. George Amedore.